"We shot it in Portland, Oregon, during a day off from tour," Carlile says. "We asked fans to submit footage holding up poster boards that explain what makes them feel real. The images that pop up mention everything from music to foster care activism to the Marfan's Community to St. Jude's hospital. And some people wrote stuff like, 'Reading,' 'My friends,' 'Family.' We even had some fans in the studio while we were recording, just to include them more in the process."

When it comes to the deeper meaning of the song, Carlile says, "People always try to change things and take away what makes you who you are, and we wanted to write a song saying that you can be who you no matter what other people think. It doesn't matter if you fit in or if other people accept what you want to do. You have to stay real to yourself, and in the end that's all that matters."

“Real” is dedicated to the memory of Cassy Colunga, a 14-year-old fan who recently passed away after battling brain cancer. Of Mice & Men first met her through the Living the Dream Foundation, and during the recording of Cold World brought her to the studio for a preview of the record. The band even recorded her handclaps for the song "The Lie."

“Now Cassy’s name and the sound of her clapping hands are on the record,” says Carlile. “It’s something that captures that moment and that relationship forever. When we think about everything we went through to make this record, that’s something that we’ll never forget.”

Of Mice & Men are wrapping up a tour with Slipknot and Marilyn Manson, with the next date Aug. 25 in Dallas, Texas. In September they'll be playing some festivals along with four special album release shows in Los Angeles, New York, Cincinnati and New Orleans where they'll play Cold World in its entirety. They also have a European tour and Australian shows coming up. For their complete tour schedule, go here.